Numerous decorative lighting and emergency lighting applications require reliable, weather-resistant, and unobstructive lighting fixtures to identify pathways, enhance illumination of objects of interest, and the like. One known scheme includes a plurality of individual low-voltage light bulbs disposed within a flexible, transparent tube to illuminate halls, exits, and stairsteps in low-level lighting areas such as theatres, airplanes, outdoor patios, and the like. Other schemes rely upon upright stanchions or box-like fixtures disposed away from a pathway to provide local-area illumination including the pathway that is thus indirectly lighted by fixtures at spaced locations along the pathway. Schemes of this type are described in the literature (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,322). In lighting schemes of these types, a lighting fixture of substantial dimensions may be located adjacent a pathway to provide the requisite illumination, and accordingly may constitute obstructions subject to damage in crowded circumstances, or while moving objects adjacent such fixtures. Also, such fixtures commonly require expensive conditioning for weather and splashy environments around pools, ponds, sprinkler systems, and the like, in order to remain operational with low maintenance over long operating intervals.